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Right now, Japanese quality is probably among the best you can get, especially if you're looking at 3-5 year reliability.
Long term, MB products do tend to hold up very well, thanks to rock solid structures, high quality interior materials, and long product life cycles.
My own experience is that the WORST car we ever owned for reliability is a tie between an Acura Integra and a Mercedes E300. The best for reliability is also a tie, between a Mazda 626 and a Mercedes C230. Go figure.
Who buys engine parts for a Honda at Wal-Mart? I am SO confused! The six in the Honda Accord makes 240 ponies, making the C/E320 look like a wuss. The G35 Infiniti six pot mill makes V-8 style power. The Acura 3.2TL-S engine also out churns any German six. Too bad Acura chooses gear ratios the way they do, as the TL-S could be a real stormer.
Park a Honda Accord next to a C-Class. The paint is as good, if not better. The panel fit is tighter. The interior materials are as good, if not better. The engine is as smooth and more powerful by far. The only real disadvantage I see is the cruddy front wheel drive I hate so much. And here in Canuck-land, the Honda tops out at $32,500 and the C320 starts at $51,000. A G35 is $39,000. A TL-S is $41,000. Equip a C320 like a G35 of TL-S, and it's a $60K+ machine.
So, what about dealer experience? Well, the dealers I have bought from haven't done any better job than any Honda dealer.
Check my siggy. I'm dyed-in-the-wool MB nut. But, that does not mean that I don't recognize the quality of competing machines. Driving experience does it for me. If I wanted a low price, low operating costs, and appliance like reliability, I'd buy a Civic. I want RWD and MB feel.
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